This is my version of trashy summer romance novels. it's so ridiculous, and it's been proven these guys were making things up, and it's such a delightful silly little incendiary yarn that it makes the boring workday fly by. And yes, I'm shelving thisThis is my version of trashy summer romance novels. it's so ridiculous, and it's been proven these guys were making things up, and it's such a delightful silly little incendiary yarn that it makes the boring workday fly by. And yes, I'm shelving this under fiction. XD...more

To start off with, I'm not a vegetarian by any means, but I was intrigued by this title, since I don't see many books about vegetarianism or veganism come across the desk at the library. Plus the art is unusual.

The illustrations are unique and expreTo start off with, I'm not a vegetarian by any means, but I was intrigued by this title, since I don't see many books about vegetarianism or veganism come across the desk at the library. Plus the art is unusual.

The illustrations are unique and expressive, and while some reviewers seemed put off by the odd appearance of the animals, I felt the style worked fairly well with the writing.

What bothers me about this book is the simplified dualistic view it takes of farming. I believe children (and parents!) are capable of understanding that there are more options than eating animals raised on Evil Factory Farms and not eating animals At All. Moreover, since the author is taking an environmental approach to justifying vegetarianism, it ought to be mentioned in the text that in industrial farming both livestock AND crops contribute to pollution and the destruction of natural habitats, etc. And yes, it is suggested on the back page to look for foods that are "sustainably grown", but when a chief point of the book is the harm inflicted on the planet due to farming, the other factors (such as toxins in pesticides and fertilizer) should be more prominently taken into account.

Of course, you may argue, there's limited space in a children's book such as this, and the complexities of the industrial farming issue would go over most kids' heads. It's still wrong to ignore them. But then again, this book is written by and for vegetarians and vegans, so it's not in the author's interests to talk about alternatives such as locally-grown livestock, grass-fed beef, free-range eggs, and other such farmer's market fare. This, IMO, makes for a very limited view of the issue, and therefore can't be the be-all-end-all reason why the readers don't eat animals. This book is a good place to start, and I'm glad that there are children's books talking about the impact of farming and the quality of life of those animals raised as livestock, but I fervently hope that this title serves as a platform for further and nuanced discussion with children, instead of an oversimplified explanation....more

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